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Assumption of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church
Publish Date: 2022-04-03
Bulletin Contents
Calendar & Announcements
Lenten Recipes
Assembly of Bishops News
Archdiocese News
Ecumenical Patriarchate News
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Hymns of the Day
Saints and Feasts
Wisdom of the Fathers
Climicus
Organization Icon
Assumption of the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • 7179193382
  • Street Address:

  • 801 Montecito Drive

  • San Angelo, TX 76903

Contact Information

Fr. Mark Lichtenstein
Pastor

frmark@orthodoxsanangelo.org | (717) 919-3382

Services Schedule

Sundays
9 AM Orthros Prayer Service
10 AM Divine Liturgy Communion Service

 

Past Bulletins


Calendar & Announcements

Report on the Movie about St. Nektarios in National Theaters:

Seven members of our parish attended the movie at Tinseltown Theater last Monday. It was excellent, and we hope it will be available later on DVD for a parish movie night.

https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Man-of-God

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Continue to pray for the people of Russia and Ukraine, for peace, for their salvation.

  • Please see Yulia, Anastasia, or Neil about donating directly to Ukraine.

  • The International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) are working together to raise $1 million for immediate and long-term support of the Ukrainian people. Make your donation by visiting goarch.org/ukraine. 
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During Lent we are asking you to make offerings for those less fortunate than we are. 
 
This week our theme is clothing the naked. So, let's all clean out our closets to find clothing to donate to Rust Street Ministries.
 
Next week, our theme is helping the sick. We are looking for ideas of how to help folks who are home bound or in care facilities. If you have ideas, please tell Fr. Mark.
 
For Palm Sunday and Holy Week (coming up in just two weeks!), our theme is helping those in prison — perhaps we can take up a collection for Orthodox Prison Ministries. They do very worthy work.
 
If you missed the previous week's service projects, it's not too late to donate food and small water bottles to the local Food Pantry. That's for helping the hungry. Also, we are hoping for more donations still to give to the Crisis Pregnancy Center. That is for helping the stranger. Please be generous.
 

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We've just finished our fourth week of Great Lent. From now until Pascha on April 24, the Church prescribes that we fast from meat, dairy, oil, and eggs. We also fast from beer, wine, etc,

Please talk with Fr. Mark about your fasting plans. It's a good idea to talk to your priest every year about this, because our nutritional needs change as we age, develop medical conditions, or go through things such as pregancies or surgeries. Fasting is supposed to help us, not harm us! So, talk to your priest to find out what plan will work best for you.

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New in the bulletin: a Lenten recipe each week of Lent. Scroll down to the next section for this week's recipe, from Anna Lichtenstein.

Thank you to Charis Worden for the idea of including recipes in the bulletin.

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There will be a very brief Parish Council meeting TODAY, immediately after Anditheron and before Coffee Hour.
 
The next regular Parish Council meeting is planned for the second Sunday in April.
 
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STEWARDSHIP

Please turn in your pledge cards.  Pledge cards aren't a binding contract.  They show what you think you can give to the church, as part of your love, care, and upkeep for it.  If you have a change in circumstances (job loss, job change, etc.), just let the priest know what is going on and you will be released from your pledge. The church needs your support.

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DONATIONS & VOLUNTEERING

  1. We need money for purchasing flowers and bay leaves for Holy Week. We use them for decorating the Tomb, for flower petals during the Lamentations service, and for flower petals and bay leaves for tossing at the Holy Saturday morning service.

  2. We need people who can read in other languages to read a short Gospel passage on Pascha Sunday, at the 4 pm Agape Service. If you can read another language, please see Fr. Mark. We want to represent as many languages as possible, to show the universality of the Holy Gospel.

  3. We need both donations and helpers to put together plastic eggs and candy for the children's Easter Egg hunt on Pascha Sunday, after the 4 pm Agape Service.

  4. Update: We still need about $5,000 now to finish paying off the new HVAC system. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Every bit helps, so please pitch in if you can. 

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ADDITIONAL WAYS  YOU  CAN  HELP 

  • We need an additional bookcase for the lending library in the social hall.

  • We always need prosforo bakers. If you'd like to sign up, see Fr. Mark.

  • We need people to help bring food to coffee hour. If you don't want to sponsor the entire meal, you could team up with someone, or just volunteer to bring one dish. There is a sign-up sheet in the kitchen.

  • We are looking for volunteers to read the Epistle on Sundays. You could read aloud or chant it, whichever you prefer. If you don't know how to chant it, we can teach you. See Father or John Choate.

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UPCOMING  SPECIAL  SERVICES

  • Wednesday, April 6, Presanctified Liturgy at 6 pm.

  • Friday, April 8 — CHANGE — There will be no Akathist service that day due to another obligation Fr. Mark must fulfill. This would have been the 5th of the 5 Akathist services we have during Great Lent.

  • Sunday, April 10, is St. Mary of Egypt Sunday, the 5th Sunday in Great Lent. 9 am Orthros, 10 am Liturgy.

  • Wednesday, April 13, Presanctified Liturgy at 6 pm. NOTE: This will be the 6th of 6 Presanctified Liturgy we have during Great Lent.

  • Saturday, April 16, is St. Lazarus Saturday. 9 am Orthros, 10 am Liturgy.

  • Sunday, April 17, is Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week. 
    • 9 am Orthros, 10 am Liturgy
    • 6 pm Bridegroom Matins

  • Monday, April 18, is Holy Monday. 6 pm Bridegroom Matins

  • Tuesday, April 19, is Holy Tuesday. 6 pm Bridegroom Matins

  • Wednesday, April 20, is Holy Wednesday. 6 pm Holy Unction

  • Thursday, April 21, is Holy Thursday.
    • 9 am Liturgy (NOTE: No Orthros)
    • 6 pm Twelve Passion Gospels

  • Friday, April 22, is Holy Friday.
    • 9 am Royal Hours
    • 4 pm Un-nailing of Christ from the Cross
    • 6 pm Lamentations Service

  • Saturday, April 23, is Holy Saturday.
    • 9 am Orthros, 10 am Liturgy with tossing of rose petals and bay leaves.
    • 11:30 am Everyone is invited to attend the Baptism of Brandon Lovelady. May God grant him Many Years!
    • 11:30 pm Resurrection Orthros, 12:00 midnight Resurrection Liturgy. Bring your Pascha baskets full of non-Lenten goodies, and stay to eat with each other after the service. Joyous Feast!

  • Sunday, April 24, is PASCHA! Glory to God for His Third-Day Resurrection!
    • NOTE: There will be no morning services, because we will have already celebrated the Resurrection services.
    • We will have the 4 pm Agape Vespers instead, followed by a community feast for all (bring your Pascha baskets again!) and an egg hunt for the children.

 Save the Date: Pascha is April 24 this year. 

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Saints for the Week: See the write-ups we have down below in this bulletin. The saints' stories are very interesting and helpful to us.

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SPECIAL  OCCASIONS  

Birthdays: Luther Large, Kenneth Kuykendall, Kelly Kuykendall

Anniversaries: none

Namedays: none

Memorials: none

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COFFEE  HOUR

Please join us for Coffee Hour. Take the initiative to stay, meet, and talk with one another, so we can build strong bonds of friendship and community. 

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Other Announcements:

  • Send your prayer requests to Fr. Mark. Also send your requests for visits to the sick and the hospitalized. These days, hospitals do not release patient information or call the priest, so you need to let Father know yourself.

  • When you travel, find an Orthodox parish and go to church! They are easy to find online. Why should we visit other parishes when we go on vacation? Because God doesn't take a break from us, so we shouldn't take a break from Him!

  • Whenever we cannot attend church services, we should still find a way to worship God. 

    • You can pray these Morning Prayers during that time. The morning prayers are good way to start every day. 

    • Here are some Evening Prayers. "A day hemmed in prayer rarely comes unravelled."  

** As always, see the parish website for any changes and updates. **

 

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Lenten Recipes

Honey Monastery Cake

This simple and delicious recipe was shared by Anna Lichtenstein. It calls for oil, which is allowed on weekends and feast days during Great Lent.

Anna says that a fruity olive oil is especially good in it. For the "1 cup cold tea, very strong" that the recipe calls for, she likes to use a combination of one spiced-chai teabag plus several strong black teabags. The honey in the recipe makes the cake bake up with a crispy crust on top, a satisfyingly chewy crust on the bottom, and a tender crumb inside. Be careful not to overbake.

You can find the recipe at https://www.lenten-season.com/lenten-honey-monastery-cake/.

 

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Archdiocese News

The GOA Center for Family Care’s Fully Human Ministry presents “Family Feature Video: The Christy Family”

03/30/2022

William Christy is an adjunct professor and tutor for college student athletes. He loves playing basketball, teaching Sunday school, and offering sermons. He is a young adult who just happens to have Cerebral Palsy.
https://www.goarch.org/-/family-care-disabilities-christy

SPEAKER SERIES: Orthodox Scholars Preach - St. John Climacus, April 3

03/30/2022

Dr. Patricia Fann Bouteneff: Founder of Axia Women | Independent Scholar | Non-Profit Leader
https://www.goarch.org/-/speaker-series-orthodox-scholars-preach-sunday-of-st-john-climacus-april-3

Memory Eternal: Fr. Antonios Papathanasiou

03/30/2022

The untimely passing of Fr. Antonios Papathanasiou is being mourned worldwide by everyone whose lives he touched in his 47 years. Fr. Antonios fell asleep in the Lord in Athens on March 29, 2022, following heart complications.
https://www.goarch.org/-/memory-eternal-fr-papathanasiou

Directory of Christian Mental Health Professionals

03/22/2022

Which care options in the Assembly of Bishops' Directory of Orthodox Christian Mental Health Professionals may be right for you? Visit assemblyofbishops.org/mentalhealth to learn more information and explore options.
https://www.goarch.org/-/directory-orthodox-christian-mental-health-professionals-2022

Upcoming Event: The Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church - An Impetus for Ecumenical Collaboration

03/28/2022

In a joint venture by Fordham University's Orthodox Christian Studies Center and Georgetown University's Office of the President and its Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, Ecumenical Officer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian, and Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne, Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis will join other notable speakers on a panel exploring the significance of the statement, “For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church,” focusing on Catholic-Orthodox relations and ecumenical and interfaith collaboration more widely.
https://www.goarch.org/-/the-social-ethos-of-the-church

Huffington Ecumenical Institute To Be Established at Hellenic College Holy Cross

04/01/2022

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is pleased to announce a gift to Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology by Mr. Michael Huffington.
https://www.goarch.org/-/donation-hchc-2022

Update

03/30/2022

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros was admitted to Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center on Wednesday evening. He underwent tests and was diagnosed with a minor infection, for which his medical team, led by Dr. Areti Tillou, prescribed antibiotics and rest. His Eminence was released from the hospital and is expected to resume regular activity in the coming days.
https://www.goarch.org/-/update-archbishop-elpidophoros

Upcoming Event: Archbishop Elpidophoros to Offer Keynote Address at the 2022 National Workshop on Christian Unity

03/29/2022

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will offer the Keynote Address at this year’s National Workshop on Christian Unity. The theme is We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him. – Matthew 2:2. The conference hopes to examine the relationships between Christians of the East and the West and explore collaboration between ecumenical partners.
https://www.goarch.org/-/archbishop-keynote-2022-national-workshop-christian-unity

Archbishop Elpidophoros Visits Los Angeles

03/27/2022

On Saturday, March 26, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros arrived in Los Angeles for the first day of his pastoral visit to California. He was received by His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, His Grace Bishop Ioannis, and His Grace Bishop Spyridon, as well as Dr. Anna Yallourakis, Parish Council President of the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles.
https://www.goarch.org/-/archbishop-elpidophoros-los_angeles
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Eighth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from John 20:11-18

At that time, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that He had said these things to her.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. 8th Tone. Psalm 75.11,1.
Make your vows to the Lord our God and perform them.
Verse: God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.

The reading is from St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 6:13-20.

BRETHREN, when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself, saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Men indeed swear by a greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he interposed with an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God should prove false, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of St. John Climacus
The Reading is from Mark 9:17-31

At that time, a man came to Jesus kneeling and saying: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; and wherever it seizes him it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me." And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, "How long has he had this?" And he said, "From childhood. And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us." And Jesus said to him, "If you can! All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again." And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting." They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise."

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Hymns of the Day

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the 8th Tone

From on high you descended, O merciful Lord. You accepted the cross and three days in the tomb to free us from the bondage of sin, O our life and resurrection. Glory to you, O Lord.

Apolytikion for Sun. of St. John Climacus in the 8th Tone

With the streams of thy tears, thou didst cultivate the barrenness of the desert; and by thy sighings from the depths,thou didst bear fruit a hundredfold in labours; and thou becamest a luminary, shining with miracles upon the world, O John our righteous Father. Intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

Seasonal Kontakion in the 8th Tone

Victorious Lady, mighty champion, defending us, we, your servants, now inscribe to you this hymn of thanks, for you rescued us from suff'ring and tribulation. Theotokos, with your power that can never fail, keep us safe from ev'ry danger our whole life long, that we may cry to you: Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
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Saints and Feasts

Climicus
April 03

Sunday of St. John Climacus

The memory of this Saint is celebrated on March 30, where his biography may be found. He is celebrated today because his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is a sure guide to the ascetic life, written by a great man of prayer experienced in all forms of the monastic polity; it teaches the seeker after salvation how to lay a sound foundation for his struggles, how to detect and war against each of the passions, how to avoid the snares laid by the demons, and how to rise from the rudimental virtues to the heights of Godlike love and humility. It is held in such high esteem that it is universally read in its entirety in monasteries during the Great Fast.

Allsaint
April 03

Nicetas, Abbot of the Monastery of Medicium

Saint Nicetas lived in the eighth century and became the Abbot of the Monastery of Medicium, which was near the city of Triglia on the Sea of Marmara. For his Orthodox confession of the veneration of the holy icons, he was persecuted and exiled twice by the Iconoclast Emperor Leo the Armenian, but recalled by Michael the Stutterer, and reposed, adorned with the twofold crown of holiness and of confession of the Orthodox Faith, about the year 824.

Allsaint
April 03

Joseph the Hymnographer

Saint Joseph was from Sicily, the son of Plotinus and Agatha. Because Sicily had been subjugated by the Moslems, he departed thence and, passing from place to place, came with Saint Gregory of Decapolis (see NOV. 20) to Constantinople, where he endured bitter afflictions because of his pious zeal. Travelling to Rome, he was captured by Arab pirates and taken to Crete, whence he later returned to Constantinople. He became an excellent hymnographer and reposed in holiness shortly after 886 (according to some, it was in 883). The melismatic canons of the Menaion are primarily the work of this Joseph; they bear his name in the acrostic of the Ninth Ode. He also composed most of the sacred book known as the Paracletike, which complements the Octoechos For this reason, Joseph is called par excellence the Hymnographer.

Allsaint
April 03

Theodosia and Irene the Martyrs

Allsaint
April 04

George the Righteous of Maleon

This Saint took up the monastic life from his youth, and went to Mount Maleon, where a community of monks gathered about him. He foretold his death from three years before, and reposed in an odour of sanctity.

Allsaint
April 04

Righteous Plato the Studite

Allsaint
April 04

Theonas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, Founder and Renovator of the Sacred Monastery of Saint Anastasia of Pharmakolytria, Halkidiki

Allsaint
April 04

Nicetas the Hieromartyr, Struggler of Serrai (1808)

Allsaint
April 04

Righteous Zosimas

Saint Zosimas was a monk from Palestine who lived in a monastery since his infancy. He became famous for his spiritual qualities, but searching for further illumination he went to a new monastery in the desert. The monks of this particular monastery left every year for the desert from the first week of Great Lent until Palm Sunday so as to live in complete isolation.

One year, Zosimas saw a shadowy figure in the distance and, chasing after it, discovered a female ascetic by the name of Mary (see April 1st and the 5th Sunday of Great Lent). Mary instructed Zosimas to meet her at the Jordan River on Holy Thursday of the following year to giver her Holy Communion. He did this and was again instructed by her to meet her yet again the next year during Great Lent. Zosimas entered the desert at the appointed time the following year and found the body of the blessed Mary lying dead near the place he first encountered her. A lion approached to dig a grave for Mary, and Zosimas recited the usual burial prayers. He returned to his monastery and spread the news about this blessed woman. Zosimas remained in that monastery until his death the age of 100.

Allsaint
April 04

Theodoulos and Agathopous of Thessaloniki

Allsaint
April 07

Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America

Born in 1865 in the region of Pskov, our Father among the Saints Tikhon was tonsured a monk in 1891 and ordained to the priesthood in the same year. In 1897 he was consecrated Bishop of Lublin, and a year later appointed Bishop of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, with his see extending to all of North America from 1900 onwards. He did much to unite the Orthodox Christians of a great many ethnic backgrounds in North America, so that there was indeed one flock under one shepherd. In 1907 he was made Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov, and in 1913, Archbishop of Lithuania.

In 1917, when he was Metropolitan of Moscow, he was elected to be the first Patriarch of Russia in over 200 years, in times that could not have been more difficult. After the Revolution of 1917, the persecution of the Russian Church by the atheist government grew more bold and more fierce with every year. By nature a meek and peace-loving man, Tikhon sought to determine, while giving only to God that which is God's, what could be given to Caesar to preserve peace and avoid the shedding of blood. At his departure on the feast of the Annunciation in 1925, Saint Tikhon made the sign of the Cross thrice, pronouncing the words, "Glory to Thee, O God!" Because of the many unspeakable sufferings he endures as Patriarch, he is honoured as a Confessor.

Note: St. Tikhon's repose was on the Feast of the Annunciation according to the Old Calendar (March 25), but on the New Calendar his repose falls on April 7.

Allsaint
April 08

The Holy New Martyr John the Ship-Builder who was martyred in Kos

05_mary2
April 10

Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt

The memory of this Saint is celebrated on April 1, where her life is recorded. Since the end of the holy Forty Days is drawing nigh, it has been appointed for this day also, so that if we think it hard to practice a little abstinence forty days, we might be roused by the heroism of her who fasted in the wilderness forty-seven years; and also that the great loving-kindness of God, and His readiness to receive the repentant, might be demonstrated in very deed.

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Wisdom of the Fathers

Seest thou how He now proceeds to lay beforehand in them the foundation of His doctrine about fasting? ... See, at any rate, how many blessings spring from them both. For he that is praying as he ought, and fasting, hath not many wants, and he that hath not many wants, cannot be covetous; ...
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

... he that is not covetous, will be also more disposed for almsgiving. He that fasts is light, and winged, and prays with wakefulness, and quenches his wicked lusts, and propitiates God, and humbles his soul when lifted up. Therefore even the apostles were almost always fasting.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

He that prays with fasting hath his wings double, and lighter than the very winds. ... For nothing is mightier than a man who prays sincerely. ... But if thy body be too weak to fast continually, still it is not too weak for prayer, nor without vigor for contempt of the belly. For although thou canst not fast, yet canst thou avoid luxurious living.
St. John Chrysostom
Homily 57 on Matthew 17,4,5. B#54, pp.355,356., 4th Century

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